raw materials costs. Half the companies

featured this year are manufacturers,

either making goods directly (38) or out-

sourcing their designs to third parties

(12). Firms such as Kent Brushes (No 87),

founded in 1777, appear alongside new

firms such as this year’s No 1 company,

Naughtone, which makes contemporary

modern furniture at its Yorkshire factory.

Consumer goods firms are most preva-

lent, with 23, followed by 15 engineers,

such as Clyde Space (No 58), which

exports the small satellites it designs and

makes at its base in Glasgow.

Their growth is impressive: overseas

sales are up by 72% a year, on average,

lifting combined international sales from

£273m to £677m over the past three

years. The firms have taken on 3,000 new

staff and now employ 8,000. Liam Fox,

the international trade secretary, says:

“As the SME Export Track 100 shows,

small businesses are the driving force

behind the UK’s export growth, and we

are committed to helping more compa-

nies go global.”

Different strategies have been used to

increase overseas growth. In addition to

acquisitions, over a third (35) work with

distributors. Trade fairs, such as today’s

Gulfood in Dubai, which will host more

than 90,000 visitors from over 160 coun-

tries, have proven fruitful places to build

such relationships. Sixteen have invested

substantially in their ecommerce and

social media platforms, as Ian Wilson

from DHL Express explores on page 4.

Entrepreneurs remain at the helm and

own more than half the companies, while

the stock of private equity and venture

capital-owned firms has dropped from 21

last year to 13 this year, in part due to our

new rule for the companies to be in profit.

The southeast of England is the most

popular location for company HQs, at 23,

followed by London, at 21, but fast-

growing exporters are active UK-wide,

with 10 based in the Midlands and 9 in

Scotland, as Heathrow’s Emma Gilthorpe

notes on page 2. As the direction of travel for Britain’s

post-Brexit trading relations becomes

clearer in the coming months, these 100

companies will provide the inspiration for

others, selling British expertise overseas

and creating jobs and wealth at home.

Europe and North America have

increased in importance as

markets for Britain’s fastest-

growing small exporters,

according to the latest research

by Fast Track.

The number of companies focusingtheir efforts on customers in Europe has

edged up to 85 companies, from 80 last

year. More of the companies, 77 versus 71,

are also targeting North America, with

Asia seeing a decline as a main market,

from 45 companies to 37.

The findings from the third annual

Sunday Times Lloyds SME Export Track

100 illustrate how closely connected

Britain’s export drive is with trading

partners across both the Atlantic and the

English Channel.

In a poll of the featured companies, 70%

of those responding said Britain’s vote last

June to leave the EU had, on balance, not

affected them. A further 17% said it had

been bad for business, citing regulatory

uncertainty, and difficulties hiring and

retaining European staff. The remaining

13% said they had benefited, for instance

from favourable exchange rates.

The results follow a stream of recent

positive economic data showing UK

companies expanding and remaining

upbeat about their prospects. Manufac-

turers, in particular, have said they have

strong order books, although for some

the gain in sales has been offset by rising

Britain’s fastest-growing small and medium-sized exporters say they are making hay in familiar markets, reports Richard Tyler

1 NAUGHTONEFurniture designer and manufacturer 279.90%

The modern office is a changing

landscape, and the stylish and

contemporary chairs, sofas and tables

made by this furniture designer — based

in Knaresborough, North Yorkshire —

are playing their part. Naughtone’s

clients include Google and Facebook,

global tech titans whose different ways

of working have made them pioneers of

the informal, collaborative workplace of

the 21st century, with bar stools and

benches replacing boardroom tables.

The firm was started in 2004 by

friends Kieron Bakewell, 38, and Mark

Hammond, 36, who were joined three

years later by Matt Welsh, 40. It won its

breakthrough contract with the BBC in

Glasgow and has since added Nike,

Etsy, and Amazon to its roster of clients.

Its reputation for quality

manufacturing, as well as innovative

products such as the Hush wing-back

chair and Trace table — which is sold at

New York’s Museum of Modern Art —

helped it increase international sales to

an annualised £4.5m in 2016. It self-

funded this 280% per annum rise in

exports before the founders sold a 50%

non-controlling stake to US furniture

giant Herman Miller last June for an

undisclosed sum. Herman Miller has

revenues of more than $2bn (£1.6bn)

and has been manufacturing and selling

office furniture for more than 100 years. Committed to remaining

independent, Naughtone continues to

make products at its workshop in Elland,

West Yorkshire, but the partnership has

enabled it to start manufacturing in the

US too, with its first overseas showroom

opening in Chicago last year. A stronger

US presence has helped win contracts

with LinkedIn in New York and Airbnb

throughout North America.

It has several other big projects in the

pipeline, including one for advertising

giant WPP and another for Huawei in

China. Its plans to start manufacturing

in China to serve the growing Asian

market are part of Naughtone’s strategy

to grow globally, with ambitions to hit

£100m in total sales by 2020.

4 OCTOBER FILMSTV programme maker 175.12%

This London firm’s TV commissions

include Walking the Nile and

Walking the Himalayas, with British

explorer Levison Wood. It also

makes Outrageous Acts of Science, a

US show now in its sixth season that

uses science and engineering experts

to analyse the principles behind

backyard scientific stunts. Increased

participation at trade fairs and a new

office in New York helped

international sales grow to £18.4m in

2015. The firm also sells the hit series

Rude Tube worldwide. Adam

Bullmore, 55, is managing director.

5 AERFINAircraft and spares services 159.17%

This Caerphilly firm buys used

aircraft frames and component parts,

which it recycles and then sells or

leases to the likes of Lufthansa, Air

France and Philippine Airlines.

The company was founded in 2010

by industry veteran and managing

director Bob James, 53, who four

years later sold an 80% stake to US

group CarVal Investors.

The capital injection enabled the

company to acquire a Gatwick-based

airframe components business,

helping annualised exports rise to

£9.3m in 2015.

2 DURONICConsumer products manufacturer 274.22%

Duronic sells more than 500 lines of

consumer electricals, from wireless

baby monitors to laser pointers — all

designed and tested in Romford and

manufactured by partners in China.

Managing director Muhammed

Islam, 32, founded the firm in 2005

and started exporting in 2014. It now

sells via five international websites

and online marketplaces such as

Amazon. Exports, which are largely

to Europe, hit £4.3m last year. The

firm is targeting the booming middle

classes of India and the Middle East

for future growth.

3 XCEEDIT management consultancy 180.93%

Xceed helps its clients — mainly

blue-chip companies in the financial

services sector — transform and

migrate their IT technology. It was

founded by Gary Stewart, 52, in

2003, and within four years had an

office in New York. International

sales hit £10.1m in 2015, driven

mostly by business in North America.

Last year its staff also worked on

global projects for British clients,

including in Switzerland and Israel.

Stewart runs the company alongside

chief executive John Casserly, 52,

and chairman John Turner, 59.

Mark Hammond, Kieron Bakewell and Matt Welsh of Naughtone hope to hit sales of £100m by 2020. The Yorkshire firm’s designs are favoured by Facebook and Google

SME Export Track 100 ranks the UK’s private small and medium-sized companies with the fastest growing international sales. It is produced by Fast Track, which researches Britain’s top-performing private companies and organises invitation-only dinners for owners and directors to network and meet sponsors. For full ranking criteria, see page 2

FAST TRACK

follow us @ST_SMEexport

Awards car partner

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Researched and compiled by FAST TRACK

UK’s global push pulls in old friends

SME Export Track 100100SupporterMain sponsors

Headline sponsor

For British businesses that are bold

enough to launch overseas, the

rewards can be huge — the strong

growth achieved by this year’s

SME Export Track 100 is ample

proof of that.

In my experience, international compa-

nies can be more resilient and profitable

than those purely focused on the UK.

Entrepreneurs, understandably, don’t

tend to see things in such black and white

terms — but they are brilliant at grasping

opportunities when they arise.

For potential exporters, we think that

moment is now, as British companies

become more competitive, particularly in

markets that trade in dollars.

Our latest research shows that demand

in such overseas markets, as well as in the

UK, is strong, and this has helped boost

business confidence. Political and eco-

nomic uncertainty has held that optimism

in check, but it is encouraging to see that

exporters and manufacturers still expect to

benefit from a weaker pound and increase

orders this year.

Exporting is not easy. We know there are

plenty of smaller businesses that want to

trade overseas, but aren’t sure how to get

started. That’s why, as part of Lloyds

Banking Group’s Helping Britain Prosper

scheme, we plan to help 5,000 SMEs

become exporters each year, aiming for a

total of 25,000 by 2020, supporting the

Government’s efforts to help 100,000

businesses export for the first time. We

provide global reach and practical

resources for every step of the journey,

such as our recently launched Interna-

tional Trade Portal, which includes data-

bases of 100,000 buyers and 27,000

suppliers.

Aspiring exporters should look to thecompanies on this year’s SME Export Track

100 for inspiration. Take Leeds-based

Xiros (No 75), one of 50 manufacturers on

the league table, which makes innovative

medical devices used in over 50 countries

to help patients with debilitating injuries.

Its most successful product is a component

used in knee ligament reconstruction.

“It’s extremely strong, durable and verydifficult to manufacture,” said Bahaa

Seedhom, Xiros’s founder and chairman.

He adds: “Over the years we have exported

in excess of 2.5m units, half of which we

think have been used in the US, so we esti-

mate that one in every 300 Americans is a

recipient of one of our implants.” The

company has doubled overseas sales in the

past two years, to £10.4m in 2016. “LloydsBank has provided excellent service that

makes it easy for our overseas customers

and suppliers to work with us with min-

imum fuss,” said Seedhom.

Success stories such as this highlight

our exporting strength and depth across

the country. In Yorkshire, Xiros is joined

by firms such as pet products maker Pet

Brands (No 28) and marketing agency

Search Laboratory (No 16). Seedhom

explains that there are numerous reasons

why Yorkshire is a good base: “There is a

unique mix of textile manufacturing heri-

tage and skill base, combined with the

strength and quality of research and inno-

vation at the northern universities”.

Elsewhere in the UK, companies are

capitalising on demand for high-quality,

British-made food and drink. Fever-Tree,

the maker of premium drinks mixers,

which Lloyds Bank backed early on with

services and investment from our equity

arm, Lloyds Development Capital, has

shown what can be done. Founded in 2004,

it has lifted sales to £59m in 2015, 65% of

which came from overseas, and is now

valued at £1.6bn on AIM.

Companies such as Fever-Tree also have

a halo effect, helping other entrepreneurs

prosper. Its tonic is a nice match for Pink-

ster Gin, a premium gin produced with

fresh raspberries, launched by Stephen Marsh in 2013, who pinpointed the “gin

revolution” that Fever-Tree had enabled.

Marsh has taken his brand to the US and

Australia, and will be aiming to achieve a

place on SME Export Track 100 in the near

future. “We would have difficulty oper-

ating without Lloyds’ support,” he said.

“They tailored the financing, understood

our problems and came up with solutions.”

Fentimans is one of nine food and drink

businesses on the table, appearing at

No 30. The Northumberland firm, which

started in 1905 and only focused on

becoming a proactive exporter six years

ago, is now selling to more than 70 coun-

tries, and is an example of a “first-time”

exporter. One fifth of companies on the

table have only recently begun trading

overseas, such as craft products retailer

Crafter’s Companion (No 52).

Others have sought to expand interna-

tionally right from the start, such as sus-

tainability consultancy Anthesis

Consulting Group (No 8), which has made

10 acquisitions, five of which have been

overseas, since it was formed in 2013.

Old or new, dynamic companies that

have ambition and drive can take

advantage of boundless opportunities

overseas — and we’ll be with them every

step of the way.

Gareth Oakley is managing director,SME banking, at Lloyds Banking Group

Sara Davies of Crafter’s Companion (No 52) has £6m of exports on total sales of £15m

Now is the time to export to helpyour business grow, writes LloydsBanking Group’s Gareth Oakley

Seeking opportunities abroad will make you stronger at homeSASA SAVIC

With her focus now

strongly on posi-

tioning Britain

as a global trading

nation, Theresa May has set out

her ambitions for a new, out-

ward-looking age of trade. And

the fast-growing exporters on

this year’s SME Export Track

100 are showing us how we can

take advantage of this new

outlook.

Even as we prepare to trigger

our exit from the EU next

month, British entrepreneurs

are boarding planes to strike

business deals with their coun-

terparts around the world.

From the fantastic head-

phone designs of RHA (No 10) to

the innovative paddleboards

and surfboards of Red Paddle Co

(No 51) and the clever, hand-

held payment systems of Miura

(No 23), British products have

global appeal. Kent Brushes

(No 87) has increased its inter-

national sales 36% a year over

the past two years to £2.4m —

240 years on from when it first

opened its doors, its products

popular for the craftsmanship

and quality only years of expe-

rience can bring. I can vouch for

them: I have a Kent hairbrush on

my dressing table at home.

The performance of building

insulation specialist Siderise

(No 60) is another interna-

tional success story. Based in

Ipswich and Bridgend, south

Wales, it supplies insulation

across the world: from the

Hewlett Packard factory in Ire-

land to Abu Dhabi’s airport

tower, and more than 40 high-

rise buildings in Riyadh’s new

financial district. It now has its

sights on other emerging,

long-haul markets such as

India, Singapore and Malaysia.

Direct and reliable access to

these fast-growing markets is crucial for many businesses.

This is where Heathrow comes

in. As the UK’s busiest airport,

almost 76m passengers passed

through our doors last year,

many of them business-

people building relationships,

investing in new markets and

winning orders.

Yet perhaps less known is

that we are the country’s big-

gest port, and gateway for

British products in demand

abroad. About 29% of UK trade

destined for markets outside of

the EU is handled by Heathrow,

— more than the ports of

Southampton and Felixstowe

combined — and nearly all of it

carried in the hold of passenger

aircraft. It is our role as one of the

world’s most important, and

the UK’s only, hub airports —

offering a unique mix of transfer

and direct passengers, as well as

freight — that makes us a

national asset. At present, 78%

of all UK long-haul flights take

off from Heathrow, so we are

the primary means by which

businesses based in our thriving

regional cities travel overseas.

Our regional connections are

something we are committed to

building — to help improve

them, we now have a £10 dis-

count on domestic flights,

which is already yielding

results: in March, Flybe will start flying from Edinburgh and

Aberdeen to Heathrow for the

first time, connecting Scottish

businesses with more long-

haul destinations.

Now that the government

has made a decision to support

Heathrow expansion, we will

be able to add capacity to pop-

ular export destinations, and

add 40 more long-haul con-

nections to new emerging

markets. This is sorely needed.As I write this, Heathrow cur-

rently connects to only three

cities on mainland China while

12 other fast-growing cities are

accessible from EU rival hubs in

Paris or Frankfurt. Partially as a

result of having additional

routes, Frankfurt airport now

exports six times more by air to

China than Heathrow. Unlike

British entrepreneurs, Euro-

pean business passengers

enjoy direct connections to cities such as Wuhan, Tianjin

and Chongqing, cities that for

our next generation will

become as familiar as Chicago

and Cape Town are today.

Our current lack of air con-

nectivity is making business

harder and more expensive,

and is proving a significant

barrier to trade. Without

expansion of the long-haul

destinations only Heathrow

provides, SME exporters such

as those on the league table will

lose competitiveness.

As the director in charge of

our expansion plans, one of my

priorities is to ensure our

growth supports the ambitions

of small businesses across

Britain. Today, 30% of the

£1.5bn we spend each year

with our 1,200 suppliers is with

UK-based SMEs. I want to

improve this figure.

We are already in discussions

with the No 1 company on last

year’s league table, Black

Swan, on how to use its predic-

tive analytics expertise, after

co-founders Steve King and

Hugo Amos met our chief exec-

utive through SME Export

Track 100.

They are also speaking with

International Airlines Group,

British Airways’ parent com-

pany, to help streamline and improve the experience for

passengers at the airport and

on the aircraft.

Heathrow expansion is a

huge opportunity for the UK.

The first wave of new jobs will

come from the planning,

design and development of an

additional runway and new

terminals, offering significant

openings for SMEs.

We are running our “busi-

ness summits” in locations

across the country this year to

make more businesses aware of

how they could participate.

In addition, to support

fledgling exporters seeking

to emulate the success of

the league table companies,

we are offering grants of up

to £2,000 towards the cost

of SMEs attending overseas

trade shows.

We are also looking to tap

into the creativity so evident in

Britain’s tech and design cen-

tres to think how we could

design a future Heathrow and

improve the services we

provide so that they are fit for

purpose in 20 to 30 years’ time.

We want to stay ahead of the

curve, just as this year’s SME

Export Track 100 companies are doing.

Emma Gilthorpe is executivedirector expansion at

Heathrow Airport

The annual Sunday Times

Lloyds SME Export Track 100

league table, now in its third

year, ranks Britain’s SMEs

(small and medium-sized

enterprises) by fastest-

growing international sales.

Definition: SMEs are defined

as private companies with

total sales of £5m to £25m in

their latest year of accounts.

Exporters with sales of more

than £25m are ranked in our

sister table, the International

Track 200, published in June.

Criteria: Companies have to be registered in the UK and be

independent, unquoted and

ultimate holding companies.

International sales growth is

measured by compound

annual growth rate (CAGR)

over the latest two financial

years. Annualised

international sales have to be

greater than £150,000 in the base year, exceed 20% of total

sales in the latest year, and

show a rise from the previous

year. Companies have to be

making an operating profit in

their latest year.

Recruitment and payroll

firms are required to achieve gross profits greater than £5m

in their latest accounts.

Exclusions: Excluded

companies include pure

property developers, financial

trading companies and LLPs.

Data collection: Sources used

include Bureau van Dijk’s

Fame and Experian’s

MarketIQ, with additional

data analytics from

SimilarWeb. Some companies

are nominated by themselves

or by advisors; others are

identified through our

research. Where accounts are

not available at Companies

House, we use draft accounts.

Incomplete data: Most small

firms file abbreviated

accounts, while others may

not disclose geographical

sales. For this reason, sales

and international sales figures

for many companies are not

available. As a result there

may be omissions. We welcome nominations for next

year’s table.

Disclaimer: The firms in the

SME Export Track 100 are not

endorsed by the sponsors or

Fast Track, nor are they

necessarily the best-run

companies. The table is based

on historical data and the

information is not necessarily

an indicator of current or

future performance. Some

exceptions were made to the

qualification criteria above.

The compiler’s decision is

final and no correspondence

will be entered into.

Sponsors: Fast Track’s sole

source of revenue is from

sponsors. We would like to

thank our title sponsor,

Lloyds Banking Group,

sponsors DHL and Heathrow,

and the Exporting is GREAT

campaign for their support.

Nominations for next year are welcome at fasttrack.co.ukor info@fasttrack.co.uk

1 Naughtone Furniture designer and manufacturer North Yorkshire May 16 279.90% *†4,480 *†9,617 24 Its furniture can be found in the offices of Google, Facebook, Amazon and Nike2 Duronic Consumer products manufacturer Romford Oct 16 274.22% *4,315 *10,789 45 Is planning to expand into the US, India and the Middle East3 56 Xceed IT management consultancy Central London Nov 15 180.93% 10,131 20,239 141 Helps global banks migrate their services to the cloud4 October Films TV programme maker Central London Oct 15 175.12% 18,366 23,325 75 Opened an office in New York in 2014, helping it attract commissions from US TV networks5 AerFin Aircraft and spares services Caerphilly Dec 15 159.17% †9,264 †15,332 40 Last November it delivered a reconditioned Embraer 170 to Austrian airline People’s Viennaline6 Quinshield Industrial building manufacturer Carmarthenshire Dec 15 149.05% 3,218 8,546 101 Has made more than 23,000 glass-reinforced products since it was set up in 19937 Stiltz Lifts Lift manufacturer West Midlands Dec 16 145.97% *3,186 *8,370 100 Its freestanding lifts have been retrofitted into homes in more than 20 countries8 Anthesis Consulting Sustainability consultancy Oxford Dec 15 135.23% 3,743 6,893 100 Has made 10 acquisitions, including companies in Germany, Sweden, North America and the UAE9 Holovis Special effects developer Leicestershire Jan 16 131.77% 8,603 10,286 61 Created a 3D virtual reality planetarium at the American Museum of Natural History in New York

10 RHA Personal audio product designer Glasgow Mar 16 129.27% *4,789 *6,164 42 Apple sells RHA headphones through its stores and website11 16 CDEnviro Specialist waste recycler Co Tyrone Dec 15 126.84% *3,204 *9,400 44 Installed Australia’s first facility for recycling litter and leaves collected from roads12 Amido Cloud technology consultancy Central London Mar 16 124.21% *1,688 *5,512 67 Says the reputation of Britain’s ecommerce industry has helped it win international customers13 Kiddylicious Children's snack manufacturer Buckinghamshire Dec 15 114.11% *1,279 *6,375 15 Is forecasting sales in China of over $1m this year, making the country its largest overall market14 Bulk Powders Sports nutrition brand Colchester Dec 16 113.36% *11,029 *23,785 100 Its whey protein and superfood powders are popular with bodybuilders in Europe15 Salecycle Marketing technology developer Tyne and Wear Mar 16 112.93% 3,693 8,956 112 Tempting customers back to their bookings, it has helped Virgin Atlantic increase online sales by 5%16 54 Search Laboratory Online marketing agency Leeds Oct 16 109.14% *3,439 *9,713 130 Its multilingual staff run search engine marketing campaigns for clients in more than 18 countries17 Divine Chocolate Chocolate manufacturer Central London Jun 16 106.23% *6,322 *12,062 23 Is planning to start exporting to countries such as the UAE and Thailand18 25 Alba Power Turbine maintenance services Aberdeenshire Dec 15 103.24% 18,110 21,375 67 Has customers in 16 countries, including the US and Australia19 32 HighQ Cloud collaboration software developer Central London Apr 16 101.79% *4,080 *10,583 190 Has offices in New York, Amsterdam, Frankfurt, Sydney and Ahmedabad20 PKL Catering equipment provider Cheltenham Apr 16 99.91% 6,814 17,937 87 Provided temporary kitchens at last year’s Rio Olympics21 Wesley Coe Medical device manufacturer Cambridgeshire Mar 16 99.82% 1,865 5,586 63 Its products range from dental implants to artificial saliva22 Digiflex Consumer products retailer Essex Mar 16 99.58% *2,346 *5,237 24 Plans to launch its own international website this year23 27 Miura Systems Payment hardware provider High Wycombe Dec 15 97.52% 20,209 24,819 44 Has sold more than 1m payment devices around the world24 M&M Contractors Infrastructure services provider Belfast Oct 15 95.37% *3,254 *11,830 46 Helped to lay 4,600km of subsea fibre-optic cables between the UK and the US25 4 PrivateFly Online private jet hire St Albans May 16 95.26% *7,000 *14,700 27 Opened an office in Miami last year to serve the growing US market26 Minerva Research Labs Cosmetics supplement developer Central London Jul 16 93.60% *2,536 *6,324 37 Its collagen liquid food supplements are manufactured in Japan and sold worldwide27 39 Lawton Communications Digital marketing agency Southampton Dec 15 86.71% 4,486 8,385 92 Helped launch camel milk from Australia’s first commercial-grade camel dairy28 35 Pet Brands Pet accessory manufacturer West Yorkshire Jan 16 82.34% *4,133 *10,271 42 Its 42,000 sq ft warehouse in Shanghai supplies international customers29 LPW Technology Metal powder manufacturer Cheshire Aug 15 82.22% *5,495 *7,380 36 Customers as far afield as Israel and China use its powders in their 3D printing30 Fentimans Drinks manufacturer Northumberland Dec 15 80.21% *†5,894 *†19,250 38 Its botanically-brewed drinks are especially popular in the US, Belgium and Austria31 Touch Associates Event communications agency Surrey Dec 15 79.43% †8,918 †14,861 43 Uses technology and digital content to encourage audience participation at its hi-tech events32 Parasense Refrigeration monitoring system manufacturer Gloucester Dec 15 74.65% 4,745 5,372 70 Has exported its military-grade leak detection devices to the US since 199633 CashFlows Payment services provider Cambridge Dec 15 73.26% 9,353 19,909 59 1,500 businesses across the UK and Europe use its technology to accept online payments34 52 Equator Design Food packaging consultancy Manchester Dec 15 73.19% 10,392 16,924 242 Designed own-label packaging for Aldi stores in the US and Ireland35 Grant Barnett Umbrella maker Hertfordshire Dec 15 71.74% 2,146 10,051 25 Designs and exports fashion-inspired umbrellas, wellies and rain jackets, primarily to Europe36 Paladone Gift wholesaler West Sussex Jun 16 67.55% *8,607 *22,981 66 Exports novelty gifts to over 70 countries and has offices in Miami and Hong Kong37 Loadhog Returnable packaging maker Sheffield Dec 15 63.62% 3,297 7,653 69 Has an environmentally-friendly glass-cleaning facility in Portugal38 Hangerworld Hangers and accessories retailer Blackpool Jun 16 62.03% *†1,919 *†7,163 70 Sends clothes hangers all over the world from its 60,000 sq ft warehouse in Blackpool39 49 Simworx Special effects developer West Midlands Dec 15 62.02% *4,780 *9,622 27 Installed Colombia’s first 4D cinema, which includes water, wind and motion effects40 50 Grenade Sports nutrition developer Solihull Dec 15 61.49% *4,356 *8,563 16 Exports to markets as diverse as Brazil and Iraq41 Gymshark Online activewear retailer Worcestershire Jul 16 61.04% *7,523 *12,841 53 Has over 3m social media followers in more than 150 countries42 37 Cult Wines Wine merchant Southwest London Aug 16 60.37% *5,951 *20,409 21 Manages wine investments for more than 1,700 clients in 60 countries43 Net World Sports Online sports goods retailer Wrexham Sep 16 59.88% *6,936 *11,867 62 Sells 100,000 football goals a year, making it the world’s largest supplier44 Welland Power Generator manufacturer Spalding Mar 16 59.16% 10,587 12,911 22 Its generators are sold worldwide through local importers and wholesalers45 Crittall Windows Steel window manufacturer Essex Apr 16 57.71% †4,491 †14,427 179 Supplied over 4,000 windows for a new faculty at an Ivy League university46 60 REPL Group IT consultancy Warwickshire Mar 16 56.96% 5,111 12,434 149 80% of its international sales are in the US47 Packaging Automation Tray sealing equipment manufacturer Knutsford Sep 15 56.86% 2,478 7,663 98 Has distributors as far afield as Turkey, Australia, Canada and Colombia48 38 Lineup Systems Advertising technology developer Central London Jun 16 56.81% *5,677 *7,373 85 Its software comes in 21 languages and has 8,000 users across 33 countries49 Professor Puzzle Puzzle maker Central London Jun 16 56.65% *3,467 *8,002 34 A street seller in Calcutta taught the founder how to make puzzles, inspiring him to start the business50 Vegware Recyclable packaging manufacturer Edinburgh Jan 16 56.06% 2,390 11,820 51 Among its customers across four continents are eco-conscious consumers in Barbados51 55 Red Paddle Co Watersports equipment designer Devon Feb 16 55.89% *5,713 *9,602 17 Says it has an 18% share of the global market for inflatable paddleboards52 Crafter’s Companion Craft products retailer Co Durham Mar 16 55.02% 5,985 15,262 63 The founder is a regular guest on home shopping channels in the US53 Language Connect Translation services provider Central London Sep 16 54.89% *1,861 *7,072 60 Its international network of 6,000 freelancers can translate more than 150 languages54 18 AHC Pensions communications consultancy Wakefield May 16 54.21% *1,642 *6,591 70 Has offices in Minneapolis and Melbourne55 Condeco Software Workplace management software Central London May 16 53.58% *10,350 *19,470 272 Secured $30m from Highland Capital Partners last June to fund expansion into the US, Europe and Asia56 Angst Productions Film and TV producer Central London Dec 15 53.47% 10,061 13,201 7 The relaunched US version of Whose Line is it Anyway? is now in its fifth series57 Mini-Cam Pipeline inspection system manufacturer Warrington Jan 16 53.43% *3,442 *10,607 35 Municipal authorities in more than 40 countries use its cameras to check sewer pipes58 Clyde Space Satellite manufacturer Glasgow Apr 16 52.85% *3,995 *5,257 75 Builds six flight-ready mini-satellites in its “cleanroom” each month59 Foregenix Data security software developer Wiltshire Sep 16 52.54% *3,509 *5,201 59 Boosted its US sales when it opened a Boston office in 201560 Siderise Building insulation developer Bridgend Dec 15 51.82% 1,826 9,086 80 Its fire proofing materials are used to protect 40 high-rise buildings in Riyadh61 66 Tomorrow Designer brands wholesaler East London Dec 15 51.82% *14,975 *17,155 41 Its 20,000 sq ft showroom in Paris promotes up-and-coming brands during the city’s fashion weeks62 22 The Appointment Group Travel and events agency West London Dec 15 51.60% 6,500 17,774 289 In December it bought a Sydney-based events company as it expands in the Asia Pacific region63 Elstead Lighting Lighting manufacturer and distributor Hampshire Jul 16 51.38% *3,866 *10,063 107 Sells more than 2,000 decorative lighting products to customers in 60 countries64 SBD Automotive technology specialist Milton Keynes Mar 16 51.05% *5,233 *5,862 83 Is setting up an office in China this year65 AGR Automation Hi-tech machinery developer Arbroath Dec 15 46.02% 14,807 15,784 98 Works with multinational pharmaceutical and medical device firms66 Hydro Subsea engineering services Aberdeenshire Mar 16 45.44% 4,243 10,566 111 Launched its new US division in Florida last year67 LA Micro UK IT reseller Windsor Apr 16 45.09% *9,620 *17,132 37 America and China are two growth markets for this IT supplier68 Baldwin & Francis Switchgear manufacturer Sheffield Mar 16 44.60% 9,605 11,601 68 Has designed a ring main to control unmanned wellheads for the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company69 70 Global Infusion Global events caterer Buckinghamshire Dec 15 44.10% 8,556 17,016 130 Its chefs created bespoke canapés to help launch the Michelin Guide in Shanghai last year70 Phoenix Business Solutions Software consultancy Central London Jul 15 43.84% 5,605 12,669 71 Its software is used by more than 300 professional services firms globally71 Talley Medical device manufacturer Hampshire Oct 15 43.49% 11,129 23,809 210 Hospitals in Finland, the US and Australia use its medical devices72 Leec Mortuary equipment manufacturer Nottingham Apr 16 43.27% 2,478 7,226 61 Makes mortuary and anatomy equipment for hospitals and universities in Russia and Hong Kong73 78 ASE Global Car dealership consultancy Manchester Dec 15 43.26% 12,126 18,866 249 Acquired Austrian software firm EDentity in 201574 Highlander Outdoor Outdoor equipment supplier Livingston Feb 16 42.80% 2,467 8,391 38 Supplies disaster relief and shelter equipment to the United Nations75 Xiros Medical device manufacturer Leeds Mar 16 41.66% 10,369 10,869 104 Helped by an extensive distributor network, 95% of its sales are exports76 Glassworks Visual effects agency Central London Sep 15 40.86% 5,974 10,020 72 Its international clients include Nike, Toyota and Coca-Cola77 85 McGavigan Decorative plastics manufacturer Glasgow Dec 15 40.45% 18,776 19,332 324 Opened an office in Japan last year to help meet increased demand in Asia78 M Squared Lasers Laser designer and manufacturer Glasgow Feb 16 39.28% 6,507 8,532 75 Its advanced laser systems are used by Nobel prize-winning scientists79 Mec Com Contract engineering manufacturer Stafford Dec 15 39.01% 6,711 12,165 121 Its factory in Romania manufactures engineering components for customers in Europe80 88 A-Safe Safety barrier manufacturer Halifax Dec 15 38.75% 12,684 19,670 104 Heineken’s brewery in the Netherlands installed its barriers last year81 29 The Knowledge Academy Training provider Bracknell Mar 16 38.74% 7,359 24,023 178 Its 30,000 courses are studied as far afield as Malaysia and Argentina82 57 European Braking Systems Vehicle brakes wholesaler Manchester Mar 16 38.66% 9,355 18,268 79 Owns Ireland’s largest turbocharger supplier83 31 Butterfly Twists Footwear designer West London Mar 16 38.43% *4,877 *6,500 40 Sold in more than 60 countries, as well as on board British Airways and Aeroflot84 TBA Creative agency Central London Dec 15 37.67% 4,191 17,507 30 Delivers more than 120 live events a year across the globe85 Process Control Equipment Specialist valves supplier Stockton-on-Tees Jun 16 37.08% 5,866 12,194 49 Struck a £10m deal in 2014 to supply engineering parts to a new chemical plant in Saudi Arabia86 46 Coryton Advanced Fuels Specialist fuel manufacturer Essex Jun 16 36.92% †7,368 †11,387 36 Provides specialist fuels for clients in 26 countries, including Germany, Japan and the US87 92 Kent Brushes Brush manufacturer Hemel Hempstead Dec 15 35.93% 2,415 6,829 47 Exports its handmade clothes and hairbrushes to 65 countries88 The Brecks Company Cereal manufacturer North Yorkshire Mar 16 35.82% 4,806 13,306 76 Last year it struck a deal with Finnish firm Raisio to make Honey Monster Puffs in the UK89 10 Andusia Waste exporter Hertford Mar 16 35.09% 17,408 17,447 11 Exports 50 truckloads of waste to Europe every day90 53 Séraphine Maternity clothing retailer Central London Mar 16 33.90% 9,188 13,782 63 Opened its first store in Dubai last year91 96 Kit for Kids Children’s products manufacturer Kent Feb 16 33.87% 2,276 7,437 132 Its products are sold in over 30 countries92 Pulse Creative agency Central London Sep 15 33.39% 10,376 14,666 42 Opened an office in Rio de Janeiro last year, its third international outpost93 65 Sygnature Discovery New drug researcher Nottingham Mar 16 32.30% 5,827 12,330 133 Is moving into Nottingham’s £30m bioscience incubator, BioCity, later this year94 Ndemic Creations Computer games developer Bristol Mar 16 31.60% *7,916 *8,582 8 Says over 85m players worldwide have downloaded its Plague Inc game95 Exclaimer Auto-signature software developer Farnborough Sep 16 31.42% *5,437 *7,049 64 Its software is used by 25,000 customers in more than 150 countries96 Charlie Bears Teddy bear wholesaler Cornwall Jun 15 29.41% 1,771 7,612 25 Has a dedicated website for Australian collectors97 Preqin Data services provider Central London Dec 15 29.27% 17,839 21,018 252 Its data is used by investors in more than 90 countries98 Merlin Cycles Online bike retailer Lancashire Oct 15 27.72% 8,220 17,094 34 Exports road and mountain bikes, and cycling components and accessories, to 50 countries99 Stirling Dynamics Aerospace engineer Bristol Jun 16 27.55% 5,412 7,451 85 Carries out specialist engineering work for clients in Japan, the US and China

100 Medtrade Medical device developer Crewe Feb 16 27.52% 18,043 19,732 46 Its patented range of gauzes and dressings are used by the US military and security agencies

Rank 2017Rank 2016

CompanyActivity

HQ locationYear end

£000sStaff Comment

BRITAIN’S 100 SMES WITH THE FASTEST-GROWING OVERSEAS SALESLatest int’l sales

Latest sales

int’l sales growth

2-year annual

* Supplied by the company † Annualised figure famecompanyinfo.com

The rules of engagement

2 / S M E E X P O R T T R A C K 1 0 0

Innovative paddleboard business Red Paddle Co (No 51) is making a splash in overseas markets

With the right investment, our exports could power ahead For British business to flourish we mustimprove access to emerging markets,writes Heathrow’s Emma Gilthorpe

NIGEL RICHES

6 QUINSHIELDIndustrial building manufacturer 149.05%This Carmarthenshire firm has made

more than 23,000 glass-reinforced

buildings since it was set up by David

Jenkins, 74, in 1993. Its specialist

composites are used to protect buildings

and containers in harsh environments,

and include coatings to contain nuclear

waste and structures that can withstand

extreme weather conditions. The

company has benefited from a buoyant

construction industry, with exports

hitting £3.2m in 2015. It is now run by

David Jenkins, 52, the founder’s son.

7 STILTZ LIFTSLift manufacturer 145.97%Stiltz’s freestanding lifts, which plug into

domestic electric sockets, have been

retrofitted into homes in more than 20

countries and provide an alternative to

stairlifts. Originally from Australia,

co-founders Cameron Gillespie and

Lachlan Faulkner, both 30, moved to the

UK to set up an HQ in 2010. Cameron’s

father Peter, 63, and brother James, 32,

moved to Shanghai to establish a factory

there. Strong sales in the US, Germany

and France helped exports to an

annualised £2.7m last year.

8 ANTHESIS CONSULTING Sustainability consultancy 135.23%This employee-owned consultancy helps

retailers make their supply chains more

environmentally friendly and prepares

sustainability reports for some of the

world’s largest corporations. Chief

executive Stuart McLachlan, 49, led the

group’s formation in 2013, with the

acquisition of Oxford-based

sustainability advisory firm Best Foot

Forward. It has since made a further

nine acquisitions in Germany, Sweden,

North America and the UAE, and has

opened offices in countries such as the

Philippines and Finland. The business,

which is headquartered in Oxford,

increased exports to £3.7m in 2015.

9 HOLOVISSpecial effects developer 131.77%From designing a 3D virtual reality

planetarium at the American Museum of

Natural History in New York, to creating

the special effects for what is claimed to

be the world’s steepest rollercoaster in

Abu Dhabi, this Leicester firm’s

technology delivers captivating

experiences at theme parks, museums

and retail parks across the world. It also

designs virtual reality engineering suites

for clients, including Jaguar Land Rover.

Offices in Los Angeles and Shanghai

helped exports more than double to

£8.6m last year. The business is led by

chief executive Stuart Hetherington, 43.

10 RHAPersonal audio product designer 129.27%Frustration with low-quality in-ear

headphones prompted Andrew Reid, 47,

to start this Glasgow firm in 2011. RHA’s

headphones are sold online as well as

through retailers worldwide, including

the Apple store network. All products

come with a three-year warranty, and

have been a hit in the US, Europe and

Asia, driven by positive reviews in

technology magazines and online.

Overseas sales reached £4.8m last year,

and in September, RHA launched its first

portable headphone amplifier.

11 CDENVIROSpecialist waste recycler 126.84%Companies in Europe, Australia and the

US use this Co Tyrone firm’s technology

to reduce waste, recover material to

produce commercial-grade products and

generate energy. It processes more than

500,000 tons of road-sweeping waste

each year and customers around the

world, such as Veolia and Suez, helped

overseas sales hit £3.2m in 2015.

Chairman Tony Convery, 56, led its

spinout from construction firm CDE

Global in 2011 and has overseen a

threefold increase in total sales in the

last four years.

12 AMIDOCloud technology consultancy 124.21%Online retailers use this firm for support

when designing their cloud-based IT

systems. It also helps businesses design

online platforms with, for example,

localised websites for shoppers based

overseas. Amido says the reputation of

Britain’s ecommerce industry has

helped it win customers globally, and

strong demand in the US lifted

international sales to £1.7m last year.

The London firm is run by co-founder

Alan Walsh, 43.

13 KIDDYLICIOUSChildren’s snack manufacturer 114.11%Kiddylicious’ baby and toddler snacks

include tomato, kale and spinach straws,

rice wafers and puffed pea pod snaps.

They are sold in Carrefour and Aldi stores

across Asia and Europe, and in Walgreens

and Toys R Us in the US. Bespoke product

development for new markets helped

international sales hit £1.3m in 2015, a

figure the firm plans to double this year

as it expands its foreign markets from 22

to 30 countries. The Buckinghamshire

company was launched in 2009 by

ex-M&S food scientist Sally Preston, 52.

14 BULK POWDERSSports nutrition brand 113.36%Superfood powders, nut butters and

whey proteins are among the health and

performance products made by this

sports nutrition specialist. Fitness

fanatics Elliot Dawes, 34, and Adam

Rossiter, 33, started the Colchester firm

in 2006, and it now exports more than

1,000 different food supplements to

customers in Europe. International sales

grew to £11m in 2016, with expansion to

the increasingly health-aware US and

Chinese markets on the horizon.

15 SALECYCLEMarketing technology developer 112.93%Technology developed by this Tyne and

Wear firm encourages online shoppers to

complete abandoned transactions,

helping more than 600 brands, such as

Tommy Hilfiger, Saint Laurent and Ikea,

boost sales. Potential customers might

see an on-screen prompt, for example,

or be tempted back later by a text

Sophi Tranchell has headed up ethical chocolate brand Divine Chocolate (No 17) since 1999. It made exports worth £6.3m last year

message or email. Chief executive

Dominic Edmunds, 39, started the firm

in 2010 and it now has offices in the US,

France and Singapore. Websites in

Japanese, French and Chinese helped

exports reach £3.7m last year.

16 SEARCH LABORATORYOnline marketing agency 109.14%This Leeds agency helps companies tap

new markets by improving their

rankings on search engines, such as

China’s Baidu and Russia’s Yandex.

Started by Ian Harris, 48, in 2005, it has

run online campaigns in more than 18

countries and its multilingual staff speak

more than 35 languages. An office in

New York helped boost overseas sales to

£3.5m last year.

17 DIVINE CHOCOLATEChocolate manufacturer 106.23%This ethical chocolate brand has been led

by chief executive Sophi Tranchell, 52,

since 1999 and is part-owned by

Ghanaian cocoa farmers. Promoted by

NGOs and charities, its bars are popular

in northern Europe, Canada and the US,

where they are sold through retail chains

such as Whole Foods Market. Exports of

£6.3m last year were boosted by the 2015

acquisition of its sister company in the

US. The firm is eyeing future growth in

the UAE, Thailand and Australia.

18 ALBA POWERTurbine maintenance services 103.24%Alba Power repairs turbines, mainly for

the power generation and chemical

industries. It moved its US base to

Houston, Texas, last year, to better serve

its customers in the country. The

Aberdeenshire firm also has a marine

engine division and introduced a power

turbine service line in 2016. Under

managing director Terry Alderton, 66,

exports hit £18.1m in 2015. To cater for

increased demand, it is doubling the size

of its workshop in Aberdeenshire.

19 HIGHQCloud collaboration software 101.79%This London firm’s software allows

clients to collaborate, communicate and

share information securely via the cloud.

It has an R&D operation in India and sells

to governments, banks and law firms

through offices in the US, Europe and

Australia. It was started in 2001 by Ajay

Patel, 44, and Veenay Shah, 44, and last

year Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley

and One Peak Partners invested $50m

(£40m) to help further international

expansion. Exports hit £4.1m in 2016.

20 PKLCatering equipment provider 99.91%PKL’s 700 temporary kitchen units are

used to prepare and cook up to 50,000

meals in a single day. Peter Joy, 65,

started the Cheltenham firm in 1988 and

the group’s international break came in

2000, when it provided facilities for the

Sydney Olympics. Contracts at the Pan

American Games in Toronto and the Rio

Olympics helped exports grow to £6.8m

last year. Managing director Lee Vines,

47, plans future growth in the military

and humanitarian sectors.

21 WESLEY COEMedical device manufacturer 99.82%This company was founded in 1952 as a

supplier of scientific glassware to

Cambridge University. It later

diversified into the manufacture and

packaging of medical devices at its

two factories in Ely, near Cambridge,

with products ranging from hearing

and dental implants to the production

of artificial saliva. Still family-owned

— now by brothers Adam and Simon

Coe, 63 and 60 respectively — it is led

by chief executive Steve Gilbey, who

oversaw a doubling in exports last year

to £1.9m.

22 DIGIFLEXConsumer products retailer 99.58%Chair covers, sports pouches and

headphones are just some of the

products this Essex retailer sells online

under its Trixes brand name. It has stores

in seven different countries on Amazon

Marketplace, and also sells through New

Zealand’s Trade Me platform and Darty

in France. Managing director Ashley

Cane, 39, founded the business in 2004.

Last year it opened an online store on

Amazon’s US Marketplace, helping

international sales to £2.3m.

23 MIURA SYSTEMSPayment hardware provider 97.52%Plumbers, decorators and yoga teachers

were all early adopters of handheld

payment terminals, which use hardware

developed by this High Wycombe firm.

In 2015, the company raised £11m from

Draper Esprit and opened an office in the

US, where it has distributor agreements

with payment systems providers Square,

PayPal and NCR. Strong US growth

helped exports to £20.2m in 2015. The

company was founded by director Ricky

Garrido, 67, and is led by chairman

Andrew Dark, 53.

24 M&M CONTRACTORSInfrastructure services provider 95.37%This Belfast firm, which designs

and installs underground cabling

networks, has laid almost 3,000 miles of

undersea fibre-optic cables between the

UK and the US to create the fastest

data connection yet between the two

countries. Exports hit £3.3m in 2015 and

M&M hopes to win more contracts for

power and telecoms lines crossing the

Celtic Sea to Europe. Founded in 1980

by Noel Loye, 65, the firm is run by his

son, Gareth, 36.

25 PRIVATEFLYOnline private jet hire 95.26%Former RAF pilot Adam Twidell, 44,

and his wife, Carol Cork, 44, sold their

home to start this St Albans firm in

2008. Its website and app enable

customers to search for and book flights

on more than 7,000 privately owned

jets. Demand from leisure and business

customers, including celebrity jet-

setters and pop stars, helped

international sales — the total value of

bookings — reach £7m in 2015. Last year

it opened a Miami office to serve its

growing American market.

26 MINERVA RESEARCH LABSCosmetics supplement developer 93.60%The inspiration for this business came

from Japan, where founder and

managing director Tony Sanguinetti, 50,

was struck by how the Japanese use

liquid supplements in their health

regimes. Minerva’s first product —

Pure Gold Collagen, a liquid food

supplement — was launched in 2011

after two years of development. Its

products, all made in Japan, are now

sold in pharmacies throughout the

world. Growth in Italy and the Middle

East helped international sales hit

£2.5m in 2016.

27 LAWTON COMMUNICATIONSDigital marketing agency 86.71%This Southampton group manages

campaign launches for brands including

Gap, Patron tequila and 20th Century

Fox, as well as for Activision, the US

publisher behind video game Call of

Duty. It also helps improve staff culture

and engagement for companies such as

Las Vegas-based Caesars Entertainment.

It has an office in Los Angeles and its

base in Sydney is run by Matt Lawton,

43, son of founder Mike, 70. Matt’s

brother Nick, 41, is group chairman.

Exports grew to £4.5m in 2015.

28 PET BRANDSPet accessory manufacturer 82.34%This West Yorkshire pet products

manufacturer supplies retailers in 58

countries with everything from cat

collars to bird feeders. A 42,000 sq ft

warehouse in Shanghai coupled with

strong demand in Australia, Brazil and

France helped overseas sales top £4.1m

last year. Brothers Ravi and Sunny

Sharma, 30 and 32, bought Pet Brands in

2009. Last month it acquired Vital Pet

Products, an Exeter-based pet food

wholesaler, for an undisclosed sum.

29 LPW TECHNOLOGYMetal powder manufacturer 82.22%Companies as far afield as Israel and

China use this Cheshire firm’s metal

powders to print 3D products such as

turbine blades and medical implants.

They also use its software to manage

their metal powder stock, test its quality

and reusability and monitor traceability.

Managing director Phil Carroll, 39, who

set up the business in 2007 from his

kitchen table, has now opened offices in

the US, Germany and Italy. Distribution

partners in a further seven countries,

including China and Japan, helped

overseas sales hit £5.5m in 2015.

78 26

3722

85

77

Main markets of the SME Export Track 100 companies

Regions of the world and the number of league-table firms doing their main business there. Many firms export to more than one foreign market

North America

South America

Africa

MiddleEast

Asia

Australasia

ContinentalEurope

26.02.17 / 3RICHARD NICHOLSON

30 FENTIMANSDrinks manufacturer 80.21%Since 1905, this Northumberland firm

has been infusing, blending and

botanically brewing ingredients such as

ginger, juniper and burdock to create its

mixers and soft drinks. Six years ago,

Fentimans started focusing on exports

and it now sells to more than 70

countries. Strong sales in the US,

Belgium and Austria helped overseas

sales grow to an annualised £5.9m in

2015. Managing director Eldon Robson,

66, is the great-grandson of the firm’s

founder, Thomas Fentiman.

31 TOUCH ASSOCIATESEvent communications agency 79.43%Patrick Collins, 51, who sold his

previous agency, Universal CIT, for

£12.8m in 2008, led the formation of

Touch in 2012. It runs corporate events

and specialises in using hi-tech digital

content to encourage audience

interaction. Clients include pharma

giants, such as Merck and Allergan, as

well as financial, retail and automotive

firms. It established a US team in 2013,

opened an office in Indianapolis in 2014

and plans a second US outpost later this

year. Overseas sales at the Surrey firm

were an annualised £8.9m in 2015.

32 PARASENSERefrigeration monitoring systems 74.65%Parasense’s leak detectors are used by

the US military to monitor refrigeration

systems on board its naval vessels. It also

sells its devices to food retailers and

manufacturers to give an early warning

of system breakdowns and improve

fridge operation. The Gloucester

company was founded in 1988 by Peter

Radford, 68, and is now run by his son

Dan, 40. With almost 90% of sales

overseas, exports grew to £4.7m in 2015.

33 CASHFLOWSPayment services provider 73.26%This Cambridge company’s technology

is used by 1,500 small businesses

and large corporations in the UK and

Europe to take credit and debit card

payments online. It also offers prepaid

credit cards and business accounts, and

processes withdrawals from cash

machines. Under chief executive Neil

Graham, 53, and backed by majority

investor Pollen Street Capital, exports

reached £9.4m in 2015. Last year

Cashflows bought iCheque, an online

payment provider with clients in Europe

and the US.

34 EQUATOR DESIGNFood packaging consultancy 73.19%Volvo, Disney and US supermarket

chains Save Mart and Winn-Dixie use

Equator to create their packaging, with

the firm managing the whole process

from design to shelf. Gary Flynn, 54,

merged his Manchester company with a

Nottingham agency in 2012, and now has

offices in Dublin and Chicago, as well as

partnerships with agencies in Sydney

and Shenzhen, China. Success

in the US — which accounts for more

than half the company’s turnover —

helped international sales to £10.4m

in 2015.

35 GRANT BARNETTUmbrella maker 71.74%Grant Barnett exports the British

weather, designing and making

fashionable and colourful umbrellas,

Wellington boots and rain jackets for

other brands. It was founded in 1900 and

is based in Bishops Stortford,

Hertfordshire. Strong demand in Europe,

the destination for 80% of its exports,

helped overseas sales hit £2.1m in 2015.

Peter Hewitt, 54, is managing director.

36 PALADONEGift wholesaler 67.55%From Harry Potter collectables and

Star Wars mugs to novelty bath plugs,

this firm designs and supplies gifts to

high street retailers across Europe, North

America and Australasia. It has offices in

Brighton, Miami and Hong Kong, and

customers in more than 70 countries.

Strong demand in the US for its licensed

and own-brand ranges helped overseas

sales grow to £8m last year. Managing

director Graeme Carr, 51, led Paladone’s

management buyout in 2011.

37 LOADHOGReturnable packaging maker 63.62%Loadhog makes returnable and reusable

transit packaging for the likes of

Heineken, Jaguar Land Rover and Posten

Norge. The company provides a range of

containers, lids and pallets for industries

that transport fragile and high-value

products. Strong sales to Europe helped

exports to £3.3m in 2015. The employee-

owned Sheffield firm was started in 2003

by chairman Hugh Facey, 71.

38 HANGERWORLDHangers and accessories retailer 62.03%When Jacqui Green, 52, needed to

dispose of used clothes hangers from

her ironing business in 2007, she

teamed up with Jim Elliot, 57, to sell

them on eBay. To the pair’s surprise,

they quickly sold out. The Blackpool

business now sells its own range of

hangers to customers as far afield as

New Zealand and South America.

International sales hit an annualised

£1.9m in 2016 helped by growth in

Europe, where the company sells

through Amazon Marketplace, eBay and

its own website.

39 SIMWORXSpecial effects developer 62.02%This West Midlands firm creates 3D and

4D visitor attractions for museums,

theme parks and corporate clients

around the world. Projects include a 4D

cinema experience at New Zealand’s

International Antarctic Centre and a

“time tunnel” for a German theme

park. Terry Monkton, 47, leads the

company, which received a £4.5m

investment from BGF in 2015 to help it

purchase robotics firm Robocoaster.

Advertising and trade shows helped

exports to £4.8m in 2015.

40 GRENADESports nutrition developer 61.49%This Solihull company’s distinctive

products, such as Carb Killa, a

high-protein, low-carbohydrate bar, are

used by professional athletes, fitness

enthusiasts and military personnel.

Husband-and-wife team Alan and

Juliet Barratt, 40 and 42, started the

business in 2009 and now sell their

supplements in more than 100

countries. Online sales and deals

with retailers such as Amazon and

American healthfood chain GNC helped

push international revenues to £4.4m

in 2015.

41 GYMSHARKOnline activewear retailer 61.04%Ben Francis started this Redditch-based

fitness clothing brand in 2012 at the

age of just 20. Since then, its range of

vests, hoodies, T-shirts and leggings

have gone global. The company has

nurtured a style-conscious fan base by

sponsoring popular YouTubers,

Instagrammers and bloggers that it

accompanies to big fitness exhibitions

around the world. It exports to more

than 150 countries, including the US,

where it makes more than 40% of

its sales. Savvy use of social media

has driven strong brand recognition

and helped international sales to

£7.5m last year.

Jim Elliot and Jacqui Green of Hangerworld (No 38) teamed up in 2007 to sell used clothes hangers on eBay. International sales of their own-range hangers hit £1.9m last year

42 CULT WINESWine merchant 60.37%This London firm manages wine

investments for more than 1,700 clients

in 60 countries. It was set up in 2007 by

Phil Gearing, 59, and his son Tom, 29, a

runner-up on The Apprentice TV

programme in 2012. Strong sales in

southeast Asia helped gross international

sales hit £6m in 2016. It opened a base in

Hong Kong last June to capitalise on the

rising demand for fine wine in China.

43 NET WORLD SPORTSOnline sports goods retailer 59.88%Having started with a single sports goods

website operated from his bedroom,

founder Alex Lovén, 29, now operates a

120,000 sq ft warehouse in Wrexham,

which sends 100,000 football goalposts

around the world every year. The

business has seven international

websites and sells to sports clubs and

schools, as well as direct to consumers.

Growth in sales to the US, where the

company has an office, and Australia

helped push exports to £6.9m in 2016.

44 WELLAND POWERGenerator manufacturer 59.16%Launching a multi-language Facebook

page and investing in its premises and IT

systems have helped this Lincolnshire

generator manufacturer secure clients in

West Africa, China, Pakistan and Sri

Lanka. Welland works closely with

wholesalers and agents tailoring

generators to local needs, helping exports

— which account for 82% of total sales —

hit £10.6m last year. The grandfather of

managing director Charlie Farrow, 36,

started the firm in 1950.

45 CRITTALL WINDOWSSteel window manufacturer 57.71%Founded in 1849, Crittall says it is the

world’s oldest continuous manufacturer

of steel windows and its designs are

found in the Houses of Parliament and

the Tower of London, and were used on

the Titanic. Exports topped an

annualised £4.5m in 2016, after the firm

supplied more than 4,000 windows and

doors to an Ivy League university and

replaced many of those in the Eldorado

building, a luxury apartment block in

Manhattan. Stuart Judge, 46, is

managing director of the Essex firm.

46 REPL GROUPIT consultancy 56.96%Winning custom from American

companies for its consultancy,

implementation and development

services has helped this Warwickshire

company grow. It advises on warehouse

and workforce management systems,

and its customers include Wal-Mart,

Microsoft and Aldi’s US business.

International sales grew to £5.1m in

2016, driven primarily by its sales

teams in the US, the destination for 80%

of its exports. Repl is led by Mike

Callender, 46.

47 PACKAGING AUTOMATIONTray sealing equipment manufacturer 56.86%Packaging Automation designs and

makes machines used for high-speed

wrapping and sealing of food, such as

sandwiches, as well as meal trays and

pots. The Cheshire company was set up

in 1963 and is run by chairman Anthony

Penn, 71, the founder’s son. Its

investment in marketing and sales,

including the appointment of new

distributors, helped international sales

grow to £2.5m in 2015. Its distributors

are located as far afield as Turkey,

Australia, Canada and Colombia.

48 LINEUP SYSTEMSAdvertising technology developer 56.81%Lineup’s cloud-based software helps

some of the world’s largest print, digital

and broadcast companies track their

advertising sales. Applications include

integrating the booking and invoicing

process across different media. Its

products are used by over 1,600 media

brands, such as the Toronto Star, Time

Inc and News Corp, publisher of The

Sunday Times. Led by Michael Mendoza,

41, it operates in eight countries and has

doubled its client base in the past two

years, helping exports grow to £5.7m.

49 PROFESSOR PUZZLEPuzzle maker 56.65%Travelling in India after graduating, Ben

Meldrum, 40, learnt how to make

traditional metal puzzles from a street

seller in Calcutta — then began selling

them from a stall in Covent Garden. He

established Professor Puzzle in 2002. The

London company designs its metal and

wood toys and puzzles, and sells through

stockists in France, Germany and the

US, including the bookseller Barnes &

Noble. Exports rose to £3.5m last year.

50 VEGWARERecyclable packaging manufacturer 56.06%Vegware uses compostable, plant-based

materials, such as waste from sugar

cane, to make its range of more than 250

different types of cutlery, cups and

takeaway packaging. Its clients include

contract caterers, food distributors and

high street delicatessens. Exports grew

to £2.4m last year thanks to strong

demand from eco-conscious consumers

in the US, South Africa, Australasia and

the Middle East. The Edinburgh firm was

founded in 2006 by managing director

Joe Frankel, 40.

4 / SME EXPORT TRACK 100

If the volume of goods going

through our business is any

guide, there’s no doubt

British exporters are suc-

ceeding. Despite turbulent

economic times, our cus-

tomers are expanding interna-

tionally, and we’re busy

investing to keep up with

demand.

In the second half of last

year, following the Brexit vote

and the fall in the value of the

pound, we noted an additional

surge in orders for exporters

across many sectors. We saw

growing demand for our cus-

tomers’ goods from the US,

Germany, Australia, France

and Ireland, as well as from

buoyant, relatively untapped

markets such as South Korea.

Online retailers were among

those to benefit. We handled a

30% increase in shipments for

UK-based online retailers last

year, outgrowing our other

lines of business. Overall,

£133bn was spent with them

last year, up 16%, according to

research by industry group

IMRG and consultants Cap-

gemini, and the report predicts

further double-digit growth

this year. So do we.

UK ecommerce is well-

placed, with a mature domestic

market and demanding cus-

tomer base. Our language,

high-speed connectivity and

the global appetite for “Brand

Britain” all strengthen our

hand. We are seeing online

retailers launch in overseas

markets in a matter of weeks.

This year’s league table

highlights the successes. There

are 16 online retailers and the

10 with the fastest-growing

overseas sales appear in the

and simple. This encourages

customers to buy more, as they

value the ability to return

unwanted goods, though in

reality only a fraction actually

do. An express option will also

help to speed up the returns

process, allowing customers to

get their money back quicker

and leading to increased trust

and loyalty.

Minerva Research Labs

(No 26), purveyor of supple-

ments such as Gold Collagen,

Duties can change, sometimes

overnight, so it is a challenge,

but one that is worth meeting.

We do more than simply deliver

goods for our customers — we

can share what works well,

support them in identifying

new opportunities and assist

with navigating customs.

Operating in more than 220

countries and territories

around the world gives us a

unique understanding of dif-

ferent markets and how to

trade with them.

While online retail is a high-

growth area, what strikes me

when reviewing the SME

Export Track 100 list is the

sheer variety of companies

that are succeeding overseas.

From engineering to media and

electronics, all are helping

drive our economy.

To make it into the league

table is an exceptional achieve-

ment for any UK SME, and we

hope these firms continue to

see phenomenal success and

find themselves on the larger

export league table Interna-

tional Track 200 in years to

come.

Ian Wilson is chief executiveof DHL Express UK & Ireland

Ben Francis of Gymshark (No 41), which has expanded overseas

Simplicity is the key to Britain’s booming ecommerce starsFor online retailers, doing the simplethings well has given a huge boost toexports, writes Ian Wilson of DHL Express

ANDREW FOX

The 10 fastest-growing ecommerce SME exportersThe growing importance of ecommerce has seen the number of retailers that qualify for the league table steadily increase since it was launched in 2015. This year 16 feature and showcased below are the 10 firms with the fastest-growing exports.

Company Rank Activity Year end 2-year annual int'lsales growth

Int’l sales£m

Total sales£m

2 Consumer products manufacturer Oct 16 274.22% 4.3 10.8Has websites in five languages and trades online through Amazon and French etailer Darty

10 Personal audio product designer Mar 16 129.27% 4.8 6.2Is expanding its ecommerce presence outside Europe, starting with websites in Japan and Hong Kong

13 Children's snack manufacturer Dec 15 114.11% 1.3 6.4Launched a website in Norway last year to add to its existing digital platforms in the UK, US and Australia

14 Sports nutrition brand Dec 16 113.36% 11.0 23.8Its ecommerce platform is translated into 13 languages and it plans to launch a US website later this year

22 Consumer products retailer Mar 16 99.58% 2.3 5.2Launches 13 new products a week, sold online through Germany’s Hitmeister and New Zealand's Trade Me

26 Cosmetics supplement developer Jul 16 93.60% 2.5 6.3Is launching a Spanish website, adding to sites in 15 countries, selling brands such as Gold Collagen

38 Hangers and accessories retailer Jun 16 62.03% 1.9 7.2Sells 600 hangers an hour on international ecommerce sites such as Mercado Libre in South America

40 Sports nutrition developer Dec 15 61.49% 4.4 8.6Says its website has received visitors from every country in the world in the past 12 months

41 Online activewear retailer Jul 16 61.04% 7.5 12.8£50 is spent on its website every minute by international customers in more than 150 countries

43 Online sports goods retailer Sep 16 59.88% 6.9 11.9Its targeted, data-driven marketing means repeat customers now account for 40% of online sales

table above. They don’t all

simply sell online — some

invest in their online stores

after first establishing a phys-

ical footprint through whole-

sale, shops and concessions.

Aspiring retailers could take

a look at their websites to see

what is helping them attract,

convert and retain customers.

From our experience of helping

customers increase online

sales, I thought it helpful to

share these five tips:

Be clear on your homepage

that you ship internation-

ally and add an express option

for deliveries. When con-

sumers choose the express

option, our customers see on

average a 70% uplift in the

basket value of the goods they

buy — to create value for

money, customers will add

1

additional products to one

order. We also see a 20%

increase in repeat custom

when our clients include this

option.

Sportswear brand Gym-

shark (No 41) shows interna-

tional shipping on its

homepage, via different coun-

tries’ flags that lead to their

international online store. It

also offers clear delivery

options for different locations

and shows pricing for both the

standard and express options.

Do your research on the

popular payment platforms

in your different target markets

and make sure you accept

them. For example, in China,

the instant messaging app

WeChat has a mobile payment

service that has more than

300m customer bank cards

registered.

Bulk Powders (No 14) offers

a range of payment options to

suit international shoppers

including PayPal, pay after

delivery, bank transfer, Mas-

tercard, Visa and Maestro.

Be clear on your returns

policy. It does not need to

be free but it should be clear

2

3

reassures its customers by

guaranteeing that if they try a

product and don’t like it they

will get their money back if it’s

returned within 30 days.

Localise your website,

because language and

colour are important, but

do not sacrifice the brand

values that underpin why

the consumer has come to

you in the first place. Brand

Britain is a strong selling

point in many markets, and

shoppers will respond posi-

tively to authentic imagery and

narratives.

RHA’s (No 10) website allows

you to click through to a selec-

tion of international web page

versions. When you do so,

you’ll be greeted in your

selected language and cur-

rency, though the strong RHA

brand remains the same

throughout.

Our customers also see an

uplift in sales if they make

clear to their customers that

local duties or sales taxes are

included in the price quoted.

We find that not doing so cre-

ates uncertainty and can put

some people off ordering.

4

5

Glasgow-based Clyde Space (No 58) makes nanosatellites for the likes of the European Space Agency and is expanding to South America. Exports grew to £4m last year

51 RED PADDLE COWatersports equipment designer 55.89%Former international dinghy racer Roger

Tushingham, 62, started his business

making windsurfing sails in 1977. In

2009, joined by former UK windsurfing

champion John Hibbard, 39, he expanded

into paddleboarding, and the Devon

company now sells inflatables, boards

and accessories. The products are made

in China and sold in more than 60

countries. Red Paddle raised £4m from

Mobeus Equity Partners in 2015 to push

international sales, and expansion into

the US, Canada and Australia lifted

exports to £5.7m last year.

52 CRAFTER’S COMPANIONCraft products retailer 55.02%Selling crafting essentials, from glitter glue

to sewing kits, Sara Davies, 32, set up this

business in 2005 while still at university.

Launched with one self-designed product,

the Co Durham firm now sells more than

4,000 products through its website,

retailers and on TV shopping channels,

and last year opened its first dedicated UK

stores, in its home county and

Chesterfield. It has a base in California

and TV appearances on the US Home

Shopping Network helped international

sales double to £6m last year.

53 LANGUAGE CONNECTTranslation services provider 54.89%With offices in Singapore, Germany and

the US, this London firm’s network of

more than 6,000 translators helps brands

such as Skyscanner and Karen Millen

conduct market research and grow

overseas. Managing director Ben Taylor,

36, and his wife Iwona Stepien, 43,

invested £3,000 to start the business in

2003. Overseas sales hit £1.9m last year.

Demand is high for Arabic translations

and it plans to open a base in Dubai.

54 AHCPensions communications consultancy 54.21%Demystifying pensions using online

games and animations is the aim of this

Wakefield firm. Its bright graphics and

interactive videos have helped

policyholders at clients such as

American life insurance company

MassMutual and Australian fund Club

Plus Super better understand their

pensions. The company also helps

clients communicate reward schemes to

their staff. Chairman Tony Hodges, 68,

started AHC in 1998. Offices in

Minneapolis and Melbourne helped

overseas sales grow to £1.6m last year.

55 CONDECO SOFTWAREWorkplace management software 53.58%Multinationals such as Diageo, Pepsi and

Sky use this London firm’s software to

manage meeting rooms and reserve

hot desks, which staff can book from

their phones and computers. Started by

chief executive Paul Statham, 50, in

2000, Condeco has 11 offices in 10

countries, helping international sales rise

to £10.4m in 2016. Last June, it secured

$30m from Highland Capital Partners and

bought New York-based workflow

software specialist MyVRM.

56 ANGST PRODUCTIONSFilm and TV producer 53.47%TV comedy show Mock the Week has

become a household name thanks to this

London firm, which was founded by

writer and producer Dan Patterson, 56, in

2004. It has seen success stateside with

Trust Us With Your Life, an improvised

comedy show with guest celebrities that

have included Jerry Springer and David

Hasselhoff. A recommissioning of the US

version of Whose Line is it Anyway? by

The CW television network lifted

overseas sales to £10.1m in 2015.

57 MINI-CAMPipeline inspection system manufacturer 53.43%This Warrington firm’s specialist cameras

help municipal authorities and utility

firms in 40 countries find and maintain

blocked or damaged pipes. China is a

growing market and the company’s latest

design — a self-propelling camera — has

been popular in the US, helping exports

rise to £3.4m in 2016. Mini-Cam has

recently appointed a distributor for

Central and South America. Founder

Nigel Wilson, 46, sold a 42% stake to LDC

for an undisclosed sum in 2015.

58 CLYDE SPACESatellite manufacturer 52.85%Glasgow-based Clyde Space designs and

makes miniature satellites, including a

range of nanosatellites known as

CubeSats. Its customers include the

European Space Agency and Outernet, a

US broadcast data company that plans to

provide free internet globally via

hundreds of nanosatellites. Exports grew

to £4m last year. It completed a large

order for a Mexican client and hopes

this will lead to more business from

Central and South American clients.

Chief executive Craig Clark, 43, started

the firm in 2005, and it is chaired by

Will Whitehorn, 57, who helped set up

Virgin Galactic.

59 FOREGENIXData security software developer 52.54%More sophisticated and targeted

cyber-attacks, coupled with increasingly

stringent customer data protection

regulations, helped this specialist

software developer to overseas sales of

£3.5m last year. It has a team of globe-

trotting cyber-crime consultants, and its

malware scanners, website security and

payment protection software is popular

with multinational clients in Finland and

the US. Led by chief executive Andrew

Henwood, 41, the Wiltshire firm has

boosted its international reach by

opening offices in the US, Germany,

South Africa and Uruguay.

60 SIDERISEBuilding insulation developer 51.82%Abu Dhabi’s airport tower and more than

40 high-rise buildings in Riyadh’s new

financial district are protected from fires

by Siderise’s materials, which are made

at its base in South Wales. It also has a

factory in Ipswich, which exports sound-

proofing insulation. A construction boom

and a tightening of building regulations in

the Middle East helped exports to £1.8m

in 2015. Chief executive Tony James, 57, is

sizing up future markets in India,

Singapore and Malaysia.

61 TOMORROWDesigner brands wholesaler 51.82%This London firm gives new fashion

brands access to buyers by putting on

sample displays at its showrooms in

Milan, Paris, New York and London.

During each city’s fashion week, buyers

from department stores, boutiques and

ecommerce sites come to buy from new

talent. In 2015, chief executive Stefano

Martinetto, 43, led a management

buyout, backed by Three Hills Capital

Partners, and last September, Diesel

founder Renzo Rosso acquired a stake.

Overseas sales grew to £15m in 2015,

boosted by interest from retailers in

Europe and Asia.

62 THE APPOINTMENT GROUPTravel and events agency 51.60%Rock stars and opera singers, sports

teams and comedians all use this London

firm to handle their travel while on tour.

The business — started in 1988 by John

Gianquitto, 58, and Maurice Veronique,

56 — has offices in the US, Australia and

Singapore, and at the end of last year

bought Sydney-based Axis Events. The

new office will form the base for further

expansion in southeast Asia. International

sales — which represent commission on

bookings — rose to £6.5m in 2015.

63 ELSTEAD LIGHTINGLighting manufacturer and distributor 51.38%From chandeliers to outdoor lanterns,

this business sells 2,000 decorative

lighting products to homeowners and

hotel and restaurant operators in 60

countries. Tracing its origins back to a

17th-century ironwork forge, Elstead

now has 23,000 square metres of

manufacturing and logistics facilities

across two sites in Hampshire and

Poland. It also imports from several US

partners, adapting the products for sale

in the UK and Europe. Managing director

Jonathan Lucas, 54, saw exports grow to

£3.9m in 2016, helped by strong sales in

Poland.

64 SBDAutomotive technology specialist 51.05%Started in 1997 by three former Nissan

executives, this Milton Keynes firm

consults on automotive cyber-security,

vehicle connectivity and self-drive

technology, for car makers in Japan,

India, North America and Europe. It also

provides R&D and information services

to clients such as Audi, Hyundai and

Mitsubishi. Under co-founder and chief

executive David Bell, 54, exports rose to

£5.2m in 2016. Last November, Albion

Ventures invested £1.5m to fund growth

in China.

65 AGR AUTOMATIONHi-tech machinery developer 46.02%AGR’s machinery automates

manufacturing processes for multinational

clients in the medical devices and

pharmaceutical markets, helping them to

reduce overheads and increase production

speeds. Founded in 2000 by Derek

Gaston, 54, the Arbroath firm opened a

second site in Ballymena in 2014 to target

the large medical device market in the

Republic of Ireland, a move that helped

boost overseas sales to £14.8m in 2015.

66 HYDRO GROUPUndersea engineering services 45.44%This Aberdeen firm designs and

manufactures undersea cables and

connectors for use in the defence, oil and

gas and renewable sectors. Strong growth

in its Singapore-headquartered Asian

division helped overseas sales reach

£4.2m in 2016, with future growth in the

region focused on South Korea, Vietnam

and China. Last year, managing director

Doug Whyte, 62, announced the opening

of a new office in Florida, with plans to

build a manufacturing facility to service

the growing US market.

67 LA MICRO UKIT reseller 45.09%This IT provider supplies and maintains

new and refurbished servers, laptops,

workstations and parts for 5,000 business

and public sector clients worldwide. It

also has a telecoms arm, selling hosted

phone systems from partners including

Cisco and Polycom. Founded in 2004 by

managing director Dave Bell, 52, the

Windsor business generated £9.6m in

exports last year, driven by strong

growth in the US. Other key markets

include Europe and China.

68 BALDWIN & FRANCISSwitchgear manufacturer 44.60%Founded in 1919 and briefly part of

Rolls-Royce, this company originally

made electric switchgears for coal mines.

As the coal industry declined, the

Sheffield firm diversified, and it now

makes switchgears for the oil and gas

industry, industrial processes and rail

customers. Recent projects include

designing a ring main to control

unmanned wellheads for the Abu Dhabi

National Oil Company and developing

technology for offshore oil platforms in

Indonesia. Strong demand in the Middle

East helped exports to £9.6m last year.

Stephen Clarke, 55, is managing director.

69 GLOBAL INFUSION Global events caterer 44.10%Foodies feasted on this company’s

bespoke canapes when it helped launch

the Michelin Guide for Shanghai in the

Chinese city last year. Its chefs have

catered for touring pop stars such as

Justin Bieber, Lady Gaga and Coldplay, as

well as at a host of international sports

events, including the Rio Olympics.

Thanks to offices in California, Shanghai

and Dubai, overseas sales rose to £8.6m

in 2015. Managing director Tony

Laurenson, 58, founded the

Buckinghamshire firm in 1984.

70 PHOENIX BUSINESS SOLUTIONSSoftware consultancy 43.84%Founded in 2003 to sell document and

email management software to law firms,

Phoenix has since developed its own

products, and now provides software

consultancy and support to more than

300 professional services firms. It has

offices in Sydney, Abu Dhabi, Chicago

and New York. Last year it opened one in

Frankfurt, its first in mainland Europe,

helping overseas sales grow to £5.6m in

2015. Jason Petrucci, 43, was appointed

chief executive in January.

71 TALLEY Medical device manufacturer 43.49%This firm’s medical devices are designed

and made in its Hampshire factory, and

include pressure-relieving mattresses and

devices to prevent deep-vein thrombosis.

Clients include hospitals, clinics and care

homes. Founded in 1953 by Henry Talley,

the business is now led by his grandsons,

Chris and John Evans, 54 and 50. Exports

hit £11.1m in 2015, boosted by a contract

with a US distributor. In the longer term,

Talley is looking to expand into China,

Korea and southeast Asia.

72 LEECMortuary equipment manufacturer 43.27%Leec’s equipment is used at both ends

of life: it provides carbon dioxide

incubators for IVF and stem cell

research, and also makes mortuary

equipment, such as refrigerated body

storage and tables for post-mortem

investigations. Customers include

hospitals, university anatomy schools,

funeral directors and crematoriums.

Managing director Paul Venners, 67, led a

management buyout in 2010 and has

since expanded the Nottingham business

internationally. Strong demand in

countries such as Russia, Ghana and

Germany helped overseas sales reach

£2.5m in 2016.

73 ASE GLOBALCar dealership consultancy 43.26%More than 17,000 car dealers use this

company’s software to help track

performance and improve sales. It also

provides dealership audits for the likes of

Shell, Mazda and Toyota. Chief executive

Rob Jones, 40, led the acquisition of

Austrian software business Edentity in

2015, helping exports reach £12.1m that

year. The company has offices in

mainland Europe as well as in China,

India, Russia and the US, and partners

with representatives in an additional

11 countries.

74 HIGHLANDER OUTDOOROutdoor equipment supplier 42.80%When the United Nations was looking for

a supplier of disaster relief and shelter

equipment, it turned to Livingston-based

Highlander Outdoor. Its range of more

than 2,500 outdoor products is sold

through independent retailers and chain

stores across Europe. The company was

set up in 1985 by chairman Bahram

Golzari, 60, who took his passion for

mountain climbing into product

development, and it is now run by his

son, managing director Ramin Golzari,

31. Export sales hit £2.5m in 2016,

boosted by demand from Germany and

Holland, its largest overseas markets.

75 XIROSMedical device manufacturer 41.66%Innovative medical textiles, implants

and artificial ligaments are made by

Xiros for medical companies around

the world. One of its bestsellers is a

textile-based product that helps repair

and regenerate severely damaged

shoulder ligaments. Chairman Bahaa

Seedhom, 75, started the company in

1984 and has since built its distributor

network to cover six continents,

helping exports grow to £10.4m in 2016.

Later this year, it will move all

manufacturing into its newly expanded

Leeds headquarters.

76 GLASSWORKSVisual effects agency 40.86%Brands such as Ikea, Klarna and Huawei

use this London post-production studio

to provide special effects and animations

for TV and digital adverts. Its diverse

work includes adding the finishing

touches to music videos for various

bands — such as the French electronic

outfits the Shoes and Justice — and

developing a medical simulation tool to

help train surgeons for theatre. Offices in

Amsterdam and Barcelona helped

overseas sales hit £6m in 2015.

Glassworks was founded in 1994 by

chief executive Hector Macleod, 52.

Sector breakdown for the SME Export Track 100

Consumer goods23

Technology and software11

Media, entertainment and marketing13

Business services9

Food and drink9

Healthcare8

Automotive and transport7

Building related3

Other2

Engineering15

26.02.17 / 5

The Middle East is the fastest-growing market for children’s products maker Kit For Kids (No 91) and it has high hopes for its expansion into India. Exports hit £2.3m last year

77 MCGAVIGANDecorative plastics manufacturer 40.45%Started as a screen-printing business in

1861, this Glasgow firm now makes

decorative and technical plastic parts for

cars. It has a factory in China, which,

along with the opening of an office in

Japan, lifted sales in the Far East and

helped exports grow to £18.8m in 2015.

The company also has a strong client base

in Germany, Japan and Mexico. Steve

Mathers, 54, and David Taylor, 53,

bought McGavigan in 2009 and sold a

39% stake to Maven Capital Partners in

2011 for an undisclosed sum.

78 M SQUARED LASERSLaser designer and manufacturer 39.28%Exports grew to £6.5m last year at this

Glasgow firm, which designs and makes

lasers for some of the world’s leading

research institutions. Applications

include monitoring of CO2 and other

pollutants, as well as medical diagnostics.

Last June it secured a second round of

investment from BGF to fund

international expansion. The company

already has offices in China, Japan and

the US. Serial entrepreneurs Graeme

Malcolm, 48, and Gareth Maker, 52,

started the business in 2006.

79 MEC COMContract engineering manufacturer 39.01%Mec Com makes components for the

power, food processing, rail, medical

and renewable energy sectors for

clients including Alstom and DEK. In

2015, the Stafford-based company

signed a five-year, £2.7m contract

with Siemens, making Germany its

biggest market. International sales

now account for more than half of

total turnover, reaching £6.7m in

2015. Managing director Richard Bunce,

50, credits growth to investment in

machinery and its global reach,

which includes a sister plant in

Romania and manufacturing

agreements in China.

80 A-SAFESafety barrier manufacturer 38.75%This Halifax firm’s modular safety

barriers are supplied to clients such as

Coca-Cola, Heineken and Volkswagen

and used at airports, car parks and

factories. It works with resellers in 19

countries and has its own offices in ten,

including its latest in Australia, which

opened last year, and in the US where it

relocated to a new facility near

Washington DC, adding four times the

space of its previous site. Brothers and

joint managing directors Luke and James

Smith, 37 and 39, oversaw exports of

£12.5m in 2015.

81 THE KNOWLEDGE ACADEMYTraining provider 38.74%This Bracknell firm has trained more

than 100,000 people since it was

started by husband-and-wife team

Dilshad and Barinder Hothi, 40 and 39,

in 2009. It now offers more than 30,000

courses, ranging from fire safety

training to finance and project

management, to learners as far afield

as Malaysia and Argentina. A global

branding campaign and a client list

that includes Rolls-Royce, Disney and

PwC helped it boost exports to £7.4m

last year.

82 EUROPEAN BRAKING SYSTEMSVehicle brakes wholesaler 38.66%With a subsidiary in China and

customers in Russia, the Middle East

and Africa, this Manchester wholesaler

has carved out a niche in air braking

systems for lorries. Through its

purchase of Assured Performance out

of administration in 2015, it also

acquired a turbocharger supplier based

in Ireland. Exports account for more

than half of turnover, and hit £9.4m

last year, with Australia and New

Zealand targeted for future growth.

Managing director Mark Luby, 50,

started the firm in 2000.

83 BUTTERFLY TWISTSFootwear designer 38.43%Brothers Emmanuel, 34, and Frank

Eribo, 32, together with friends Mark

Quaradeghini, 34, and Philippe Homsy,

33, started making comfortable, foldable

shoes in 2009, after one of them lost a bet

and had to attend a fancy dress party in

6-inch heels. Butterfly Twists’ pumps,

trainers, wellies and sandals are now sold

in 60 countries, including Japan and the

US, and exports grew to £4.9m last year.

84 TBACreative agency 37.67%From gala dinners to live events and

roadshows, TBA helps global brands such

as P&G, Jaguar Land Rover and Diageo

reach their target audiences. Founded in

London in 1983 by Tony Ball, 82 — the

man behind the launch of the original

Mini motor car — the London agency is

now led by chairman Guy Horner, 41. Winning accounts with Citi and Ketel One

helped overseas sales hit £4.2m in 2015.

85 PROCESS CONTROL EQUIPMENTSpecialist valves supplier 37.08%When the Saudi Arabian multibillion-

dollar Sadara chemical plant — the

world’s largest chemical complex to be

built in one phase — starts production

later this year, it will partially be thanks

to the valves, pipes and fittings supplied

by this Stockton-on-Tees distributor.

This contract helped international sales

hit £5.9m last year, under managing

director Richard Jackson, 42. Additional

operations supply clients across the

petrochemical, oil and gas, power and

pharmaceutical industries.

86 CORYTON ADVANCED FUELSSpecialist fuel manufacturer 36.92%This firm provides specialist fuels for

automotive, motorsport and aviation

clients in 26 countries, including

Germany and the US. It was formed in

2010 when scientists Craig Goodfellow,

53, and Diane Lance, 57, acquired a

refinery on the Thames estuary in Essex

from British Petroleum. With additional

operations in Germany, it secured

undisclosed investment from Lyceum

Capital in 2015 to expand in the US and

Asia. Under chief executive Nick Pye, 42,

exports hit an annualised £7.4m in 2016.

87 KENT BRUSHESBrush manufacturer 35.93%The British heritage of its handmade

toothbrushes, hairbrushes, combs and

clothes brushes has made this company a

fashionable brand in countries such as

India and Taiwan. The Hemel Hempstead

manufacturer was founded in 1777, and

bought by the Cosby family in 1932.

Under chairman Alan Cosby, 68, exports

rose to £2.4m in 2015, a third of which

was generated in the US. The growth

was helped by new products and

marketing campaigns.

88 THE BRECKS COMPANYCereal manufacturer 35.82%Brecks supplies retailers, food and

confectionary companies in the US,

Europe and Asia with cereal products,

from muesli to cornflakes. It also makes

ingredients for meat-free burgers, hot

dogs and sports snacks by using special

processing methods that increase cereal

protein content. The company was

founded in 1992 and now operates

factories in North Yorkshire and Norfolk.

Its overseas sales grew to £4.8m in 2016.

89 ANDUSIAWaste exporter 35.09%Industry veterans Steve Burton, 48, and

Stewart Brackenbury, 58, set up this

Hertford recycler in 2012 after spotting a

gap in the market for exporting

household and commercial waste to

supply the power industry. Andusia now

ships 300,000 tons of waste a year to

energy-from-waste sites in the

Netherlands, Germany and Norway.

Higher UK landfill taxes have made it

more economical for companies to export

waste rather than bury it, helping

Andusia increase overseas sales to

£17.4m last year.

90 SÉRAPHINEMaternity clothing retailer 33.90%Séraphine’s maternity wear proved

popular with the Duchess of Cambridge,

helping boost sales among pregnant

celebrities including Anne Hathaway,

Marion Cotillard and Dannii Minogue.

Founded in 2002 by Cecile Renaud, 43,

exports grew to £9.2m in 2016, driven by

its stores in New York and an upgrade to

its web platform, which boosted sales to

online shoppers in Europe and North

America. Last year the London firm

opened its first store in Dubai, and it

plans a further 10 in the US.

91 KIT FOR KIDSChildren’s products manufacturer 33.87%Alphabet cushions in Arabic have helped

the Middle East become this Kent-based

firm’s fastest-growing overseas market.

Chief executive Jan van der Velde, 53, set

up Kit for Kids in 1993, and has now

expanded its range to include mattresses

and changing mats, as well as classroom

furniture. With an office in Dubai, a

factory in Romania, and distribution

centres in the UK, US and the Middle

East, exports hit £2.3m in 2016. The

company plans to expand into India.

92 PULSE Creative agency 33.39%This live events business works with

brands to maximise their exposure at

global sporting events, including the Rio

2016 Olympics, tennis ATP World Tour

and rugby World Cup 2015. The London

agency has offices in Dubai and Rio, and

designs, builds and manages exhibitions

for companies such as Emirates. As part

of the airline’s sponsorship of the Thames

cable car in Greenwich, Pulse created the

Emirates Aviation Experience. Executive

chairman Gerald Ellender, 73, saw

overseas sales double to £10.4m in 2015.

93 SYGNATURE DISCOVERYNew drug researcher 32.30%This Nottingham-based company works

with research organisations to develop

drugs for illnesses such as cancer,

respiratory disease and Alzheimer’s, and

in October last year announced a

collaboration with Malaysian company,

Viramatix, to develop anti-influenza

medicine. Simon Hirst, 52, started

Sygnature in 2004. Customers in

America, Germany, Denmark and

Australia lifted overseas sales to £5.8m in

2016, when it also took a stake in

Cheshire-based Peak Proteins.

94 NDEMIC CREATIONSComputer games developer 31.60%Founder James Vaughan, 30, launched his

mobile simulation and strategy game

Plague Inc in 2012 as a hobby while

working as a strategy consultant. The

game, in which players unleash and

control a deadly pathogen in an attempt

to wipe out humanity, has now been

played by more than 85m people and is

regularly among the top ten most popular

paid iPhone apps worldwide. The Bristol

company released a Plague Inc board

game following a crowdfunding

campaign last year, when overseas sales

grew to reach £7.9m.

95 EXCLAIMERAuto-signature software developer 31.42%Over 50m users in more than 150

countries use this firm’s auto-signature

software, which helps companies,

from large multinationals to small

businesses, to manage their legal

disclaimers and email signatures, as

well as protect their corporate

branding. Founders Andrew

Millington, 53, Christopher Crawshay,

54, and Gary Levell, 52, secured a

£23m investment from private equity

firm Livingbridge last December,

following a year that saw offices in the

US, Australia, Germany and the

Netherlands generate sales of £5.4m.

96 CHARLIE BEARSTeddy bear wholesaler 29.41%Husband-and-wife team — and toy

bear enthusiasts — William and Charlie

Morris, 42 and 45, launched their first

collection of 12 handmade toy bears

in 2006. The Plymouth business now

produces more than half a million

bears each year, selling online, and

through 500 retailers in 37 countries.

To ensure they remain collectable, no

more than 3,000 of each character

are created. Growth in Australia —

the largest market outside the UK —

helped lift exports to £1.8m in 2015. It

is targeting further growth in Japan

and the US.

97 PREQINData services provider 29.27%Led by chief executive Mark O’Hare,

58, and operating from offices in

London, New York, Singapore, San

Francisco, Hong Kong and Manila,

Preqin supplies intelligence on the

global alternative assets industry, such

as private equity, infrastructure and

hedge funds. Its data is used by 40,000

institutional investors, money managers

and advisors worldwide and investor

interest in the asset class saw overseas

sales grow to £17.8m in 2015. Last

November, the company took an

undisclosed controlling stake in UK

software provider Baxon Solutions.

98 MERLIN CYCLESOnline bike retailer 27.72%Started as a mail order business in a

Lancashire bedroom, Merlin now ships

road and mountain bikes to cycling

enthusiasts in more than 50 countries.

The online business sells its own range of

handmade cycles, and stocks an

extensive selection of bikes, component

parts and accessories from brands

including Castelli, Oakley and Ridley.

The global uptake in cycling, as well as an

increase in orders from US customers,

rode international sales to a record £8.2m

in 2015. The company is led by founder

John Moss, 49.

99 STIRLING DYNAMICSAerospace engineer 27.55%From military jet simulators to

autopilots for submarines, this

engineering company provides

technology and training for the

aerospace and marine sectors. It has

also designed and built the latest

generation of flight training simulators.

Founded in Bristol 30 years ago, it has

an office in Florida and also works

onsite for its clients, including Airbus,

Lockheed Martin and Mitsubishi, in

countries such as Japan, the US and

China. Chief executive Mark Cook, 55,

saw exports reach £5.4m in 2016.

100 MEDTRADEMedical device developer 27.52%Medtrade’s innovative materials, such

as spray-on plasters, gelling fibre

dressings and gauzes, are sold to

medical and pharmaceutical companies,

and are used by the US military and

security agencies. More than two-

thirds of its sales are to North America,

and chief executive Craig Hardy, 53,

oversaw exports of £18m last year.

The Crewe firm is driving future growth

through investment in research and

development — it is currently trialling

a product that treats wounds and is

gradually absorbed into the body.

6 / SME EXPORT TRACK 100